Garden Hose Reels and Other Storage Ideas

Spring is springing up all over. If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to check over your trusty garden hose and make sure it’s fit for another season of use. If it’s not, springtime is the second-best time of year to find a great bargain on a high quality garden hose – even specialty hoses like a coil garden hose, a drinking safe garden hose or a heated garden hose. The only better time to replace your worn-out garden hose is at the end of the growing season – but that means you have to put in another season of fighting with a hose that’s too short, kinks easily and tangles up with just about everything. There’s an enormous variety of garden hoses on the market these days, so it should be easy to find exactly the right length and diameter one you need for your garden.

Whether you buy a new garden hose or want to get a little more life from your current one, you definitely should be storing your hose properly. Whether you’re using a 1-inch water hose for heavy duty applications, or a standard 1/2 inch garden hose or 3/4 inch garden hose , storing it the right way will prevent a lot of the problems that can shorten the life of one of your handiest, trustiest gardening tools. Here are some tips on how to properly care for and store your new – or old – garden hose.

Garden Hose Reels

A garden hose reel is the best solution for storing your hose when it’s not in use for a number of reasons.

-          Coiling your garden hose onto the reel helps you empty its entire length, which prevents interior rotting.

-          A wall-mounted garden hose reel keeps your garden hose up off the ground so you don’t accidentally run it over with your riding mower.

-          A portable garden hose reel makes it easier to move your hose around your property without dragging the entire length of the hose behind you.

-          Rolling up your garden hose on a hose reel gets it up off the ground, out of contact with dirt, mold and insects that might crawl into it for a cool place to rest.

There are a number of styles of garden hose reels, including stainless garden hose reels and brass garden hose reels. A word of caution: avoid cheap plastic or aluminum garden hose reels that can bend, buckle or break – and may puncture your garden hose.

The better you treat your garden hose, the more likely it is to last for many years, giving you your full money’s worth.

It’s Spring – Get Out Your Garden Hose

Despite unexpected Midwest blizzards and a recalcitrant Punxsutawney Phil giving out the wrong prediction – blame it on old age – spring actually has arrived. It’s time to bring out your garden hose and get your house and yard in shape for the upcoming season. Here are six things you should do to get yourself, your property and your garden hose ready for the warmer months to come.

Inspect Your Garden Hose

If you’re a diligent, responsible gardener who takes good care of all your tools, your garden hose probably spent the winter in a warm, dry cellar or storage shed. Even then, there’s a chance that your garden hose didn’t come through the winter well. And if you’re like many of us, your hose may just have spent the winter under a blanket of snow. Either way, it’s a good time to give it a good inspection and decide if it’s worth using again this year. Look for cracks and breaks in the plastic or vinyl and check the garden hose fittings for wear.

While you’re at it, consider how well your trusty hose served you last year. Did it reach everywhere you wanted it to go? Did you spend half your gardening time tugging on your garden hose to get it around corners or make it release kinks and bends? If so, it may be time to invest in a new hose that meets your needs. A heavyweight 3/4 inch garden hose won’t kink and curl, and is far less likely to be damaged if you happen to run over it with your lawnmower.

Buy a New Garden Hose

Likewise, consider how you use your garden hose to decide whether you need one of the new specialty hoses on the market. If you water edible garden vegetables or fill kids’ swimming pools with it, for example, you may want to invest in a drinking safe garden hose just to be on the safe side. A coil garden hose makes gardening in small spaces, like patio gardens and container garden beds, much easier by making it easier to maneuver around and store your hose when it’s not in use.

Invest in a Garden Hose Reel

Protect your garden hose by investing in a garden hose real that you can mount on the side of your house or roll with you wherever you need it. You can buy reels in many different configurations and to fit hoses of all sizes from a 1/2 inch garden hose to a one inch water hose.

Wash Your Siding and Windows

Get rid of the grime left behind by the winter with a good hose down for your whole house. There are a lot of attachments available that will turn your garden hose into a great cleaning tool  to spray with soapy water and rinse clean.

Clean Out the Gutters

Rake out your gutters and give them a good wash-out with your hose.

Wash Down the Walkways and Paths

Sand and salt can leave stains and residue on brick and concrete steps and pathways. Wash them down with a high-pressure stream of water from your garden hose to make them look bright and new.

By the time you’re done sprucing up your property with the help of your trusty garden hose, you’ll have left the winter behind and be looking forward to a wonderful gardening season.